Common mistakes when developing mobile applications

If someone asks me to describe mobile development, I’d say it’s the process of making portable devices that are just as useful as computers and can get better over time. That is exactly what is happening. Recent studies show that there are around 112 million users in India, which is a growth of 13% over last year. The research organization also predicts that there may be an addition of 11 million by the end of this year.

But the interesting news from this research is that in 2010, only 1% of people were using the Internet on their mobiles, which rose to 3% in 2011 and 8% in 2012. Looking at these trends and exponential growth, it predicts that there will be about 600 million mobile Internet users worldwide.

All these surveys sum up that mobile development has become one of the fastest growing and competitive markets. Mobile phones have become the center of the world, since companies and individuals cannot survive without them with all possible communication and social networks through it. Smartphones are particularly getting the kind of attention that declining computers once did. Laptops and desktops have become impractical options for the rather obvious reason that they cannot be pocketed. So we have a lot of reasons why this generation will like to do everything on a mobile platform.

Although there are enough mobile development platforms available, there are few that are common and popular. Some of them are:

– Symbian-OS It is one of the favorite platforms among developers for its fast response in real time. It is designed and maintained by Nokia.

– android is another platform based on the modified version of LINUX Kernel that has revolutionized the mobile market. Android Java based application is easier to use.

– blackberry operating system, as its name indicates, is a proprietary platform for the use of Blackberry devices. Research in Motion (RIM) also allows third-party developers to write their own software using the Blackberry Application Programming Interface (API).

– Apple is a development platform for creating apps for iPhones and iPads. It is a UNIX-based operating system derived from the Macintosh OS.

– windows phone it is the latest platform to come from the computer giant Microsoft. It uses a design language called Metro that allows developers to integrate the operating system with third-party services.

Of course, with so many platforms available, there are thousands if not millions of applications that can be created. Everyone is trying to create their own app, but the learning process is never complete without understanding the common pitfalls associated with it. These days I see so many apps with features that aren’t really important. There are some common mistakes that I would suggest avoiding during the mobile development process.

Fill too many features-

This is one of the most common mistakes made by new mobile developers or often by seasoned developers who can’t resist adding everything they have. As a developer, you need to understand what you want your app to do, what its unique features should be, and how it will benefit and serve your users.

It’s very important that the first version of your app only addresses the immediate requirements of the user or company you’re developing the app for. Adding more features can always be done in the next versions of your app. Constantly updating your app also makes it look professional and popular with users.

Creating Complicated User Interfaces-

The first version of your app should be intuitive and easy to use. A perfect interface should be such that the user learns it just by using it without consulting the user manual. The average mobile user may not be very tech-savvy. He or she just wants to enjoy the features that their device has to offer. So keep in mind that all aspects, screens, buttons and functions of your application must be well defined to make their lives easier and more pleasant.

Of course, there are some applications with complicated interfaces that have been very successful among users. But it would be better to start slow with simple apps and go for the innovative apps once you have a name in the market. It is important to provide a manual with a detailed instruction section for applications with a complicated user interface.

Working on too many mobile platforms-

It’s important that mobile developers don’t start building apps for all mobile platforms. Adding too many features and platforms to your single version will increase your upfront costs. You need to do extensive research and plan your strategies in advance if you want to develop your app for different platforms like Blackberry, Android, Apple altogether.